Anyone reading the New York Times article that delicately outlines Valve’s plans will discover a touching tale of whimsy and living room-based gaming.

For those of us looking for a quick Steam fix, the service plans to launch Monday 10 September, or today.

Steam’s Big Picture is the family-friendly solution to Valve’s amazing, yet ultra-geeky gaming portal. Much like Xbox Live and the Playstation Network, Steam is a downloadable hub for off-the-shelf games. But it’s been confined to computers, for now. Big Picture’s a bit of a console disruptor. It’s going to be the same Steam we know and love, but with a “TV-fied” UI and a controller scheme primarily based on gamepads which is you know, the only real way to enjoy console gaming. Have you ever tried to play PC games with a wireless mouse and keyboard on your couch? It’s awkward, and it sucks.

It’s not aimed at everyone though and for now, a scant 50 000 existing Steam users have been given access to the private beta. The first game to hit the service? The free-to-play multiplayer marvel, Team Fortress 2. For those who have their beta invitations, let us know what you think of the service in the comments below.